Project Valac
by DarkTideProductions
Summary: Commander Reiker of the Valac cell is making a deal with the mercenary group, "Eclipse" to acquire a special suit of armor produced in the Terminus systems. But when the infamous Arch Angel appears, many things go awry...


Commander Reiker stood underneath a dim light on a back alleyway. Alone on the streets of Omega, Talin Reiker struggled to maintain his cool. As well trained as he was, it proved difficult to stay calm on the most lawless hub of the Terminus Systems. The only reason that Reiker was here, happened to be because Omega was the best place for lucrative deals, no questions asked. '_I just wish they didn't have __**my**_ _cell as the negotiation team._'

His suit's Virtual Intelligence chimed in as per usual.

"**Commander. Stress levels are rising, sedative or therapy recommended. Would you like a-" **

With a strange mixture of a frustrated grunt and exasperation, Reiker hit the back of his neck, cutting off the ice cold VI's speech. '_Note to self. Have mechanic get that damn thing out of there.' _For times like this, the commander did not need a machine to remind him that he was feeling nervous, nor did he want to have chems filling his veins before an important transaction. Never mind the fact he never liked having a voice in his head in the first place.

In an effort to relax, he rolled his neck and stretched his arms, hearing and feeling the satisfying _cracks _as he continued. Before the negotiations began, he gave his suit one more look. Tapping the helmet briefly, his visor turned into a screen on the inside; offering him an outside view of his own armor. Crimson in color, the Cerberus _Inferno Armor_ made an impressive and mysterious appearance. Designed to be as protective as possible without being restrictive, there was a very light padding around the joints while the shoulders, leggings, and hands were especially reinforced. After that, with the exception of the top chest, portion (which was given a lighter plating) the rest of the outfit was mostly covered in tight ribbing. Close together, these connecting 'platelets' (as Reiker liked to call them) added protection without preventing casual or drastic movements one would typically be able to perform in normal attire. Satisfied after several seconds of looking himself over without noticing any visible defects, Reiker tapped his helmet once more to remove the screen and then again to turn off the visor translucency. Like a two-way mirror, he could see his surroundings with perfect clarity; but no one would be able to see his face. More importantly, no one would notice his expressions or reactions. He knew that more often than not, the best poker face someone could have was a face that you couldn't see.

Minutes passed and the Cerberus officer tapped his foot to placate his impatience. Finally, he heard movement. He turned slowly and deliberately, determined to show confidence in every way. Side by side, perfectly in line with each other, two eclipse guards approached him from the shadows. Clad in their yellow plate armor, all Eclipse soldiers wore a black outlined sun emblazoned on their chest pieces; with an "E" marked over the sun, the Eclipse 'employees' looked more like a gang than a mercenary corporation. Moments later, the soldiers stepped aside and turned towards each other, saluting. The next to walk into the light was a salarian, dressed the same as the others minus the all encompassing helmet.

Supposedly, the Eclipse band was based heavily on salarian military techniques. A very lithe people, they had a slightly concave stomach and their skin was 'slick' like a frog's. Similarly, they also sported reverse jointed legs, making them concave as well. With faces that are vaguely shaped like 'V's due to the two prongs that extend atop of their head, these warm blooded amphibians are one of the more exotic humanoid aliens.

Instead, the amphibian had what looked like holographic stripes just over the armor and three covering the sides and top of his head. The latest design in protective technology, it has since been called 'Tech Armor'. '_But it still looks damn stupid.' _The salarian looked the captain up and down with its giant frog-like eyes, presumably sizing him up. Reiker crossed his arms casually, "I take it you're the representative?" In a condescending tone that the commander was all too familiar with the Eclipse replied, "Just figured that by yourself did you?" Reiker didn't directly respond, determined to stick to business, "Let's just get this over with, alright?" With a shrug the salarian continued, "Right. Fine. The package is complete."

"Well?" the Cerberus officer asked curiously. No one moved. "Hand it over already," with just a tinge of frustration in his voice he held his hand out.

The salarian shook his head, "Uh-uh. We've got it aboard one of our trains. You can pick it up after you've paid up." Again, no one moved.

This time Reiker shook his head. "The hell we will!" he burst out incredulously, "You get paid after we have the package." '_I hate these jobs. We're better off with in-house development...'_ Of course, he knew there were some things even The Illusive Man couldn't get his hands on, but that didn't mean Reiker was happy to negotiate with people who's loyalty lied to their pay checks.

With a sigh, the salarian looked around. "We don't have time for this, Cerberus."

"Then let's move this along, hmm?" He retorted smugly.

"I already said we'll give it to you after."

"And _I_ said you get paid after."

"We don't have it right now, human!"

"Well, who said I have the credits right now?"

Reiker wasn't sure if it was possible, but he could have sworn that the alien's two horn-like tendrils were shaking in frustration. Gripping its fist, the salarian sighed, "Does this need to get messy?" The eclipse guards moved towards their leader, raising their weapons. In a flash Reiker reached a block of metal on his back, which unfolded into the form of a shotgun in his hands.

"Try it." He said with defiant confidence. Really, he was just putting up a front, but, as suggested by the suit VI, it was working; his visor began flashing rapidly, indicating to him that his own, _and_ the salarian's heart rates' were rising. Looking at his companions and Reiker, the amphibian raised up an arm with a closed fist. In response, the two guards lowered their weapons, though both kept a tight grip on the triggers. "Alright," the amphibian muttered. "Cerberus has someone pick it up, but we get paid as soon as it reaches the Omega docks." Refolding the shotgun and placing it on his back again, the commander crossed his arms.

"Good choice." Rolling it's eyes, the eclipse lieutenant turned its back and walked off. "Tomorrow human. Three O'clock Omega Time."

In a mock pleased gesture, Reiker opened his arms as if to hug him and chuckled, "Pleasure doing business with you." The salarian only grunted in response and continued along with his entourage.

Once they were out of sight, Reiker heaved a deep sigh of relief and stretched again. '_I really wish this sort of thing didn't always involve people pointing guns at me.' _Placing his hand on his left arm, a holographic glove (Omni tool) formed over it, "Did you get that?" he whispered to it. An amused feminine voice poured directly from his helmet into his ears,

"Roger that Valac leader." The commander grunted as he heard his official title. Distinctly different from the VI's voice, Reiker could easily recognize his XO's voice; despite his efforts to forget.

'_She knows that's not necessary. Probably just talks protocol to piss me off...'_

"Diana, just send someone to pick me up." An obnoxious laugh was the first response he heard.

"That's a negative Valac Leader!"

'_...it works._' Busy being frustrated with the girl's mannerisms, it took the commander a moment to process what she just told him.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Command wants you to finish the transaction."

"Why the fuck do _I_ have to do that?"

"You did _start_ the transaction Commander."

"For fuck's sake..."

Diana giggled childishly, "Don't worry Valac leader, I'll come with you."

"...Diana." He muttered in frustration.

"Yes, Valac leader?" she asked innocently.

"Stop that!"

"...Stop what, commander?"

"Oh COME ON."

"Is there a problem sir?"

"...Never mind. Reiker out."

Once more tapping his helmet, he closed the channel and swore to himself. "Why does she always do that!" Kicking up some dust the Cerberus officer walked out of the light and moved on. '_I can already tell this is going to be a long day..._'

The next day, Reiker found himself leaning against the wall of the same back alley he was at last night at the bottom of the Omega station. In the darkness, he watched the degenerate vorchas searching through the trash and metal scraps for something of value. Alien by all standards, there were no animal-based comparisons to be used to describe the vorcha. Armed with jagged teeth and hands that looked more like knives, most people thought of them as the lowest race in known space; with skin that looked more like a mutilated human muscle frame and eternally bloodshot eyes, the commander was inclined to agree.

As he heard the familiar sound of foot steps, Reiker turned around with the same calm and deliberate motions that he did the first time he met with the eclipse. Making sure to set the right image, he tried to speak with a smug confidence, "Are we ready then Ec-". Talin's mouth dropped open wide and words failed him when he saw who, or more importantly _what_ walked into the spotlight. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked in complete shock.

Flipping back her jet black hair out of the way of her amber eyes, Diana sported a smug smile to match her commander's earlier tone. From top to bottom, she wore a black half jacket and a translucent shirt underneath, revealing much of her upper torso; skin tight black leggings to match, with small openings going down the side. For certain, the outfit made Diana a very attractive figure to most.. Hands on her hips, the XO asked, "How do I look commander...? Ooh, I've never seen your face look like that before!"

Reiker felt his face turn red as he realized his visor was transparent, almost immediately tapping the side of his helmet to make it opaque again. "Diana!" he said in borderline awe. Trying desperately to make his discomfort less apparent, he tried to put on an angry tone. "What are you doing here?" Staring him down with an, 'isn't it obvious' look she remarked, "I said I'd come along, didn't I?" Had the second in command not known him better, one would think that Reiker's suit either locked up, or he entered a catatonic state.

_'Dear god, why does she do this to me? Doesn't she have enough fun screwing around with the rest of the crew?'_ Clearly, she was not. Forcing composure back onto himself he spoke with confidence again, though he mentally flailed to form proper sentences, "Looks more like you're...I mean, you're dress li-...er..WELL THEN, why aren't you in your uniform?" Adjusting her half jacket in the slightest manner (showing off just a tad more skin) she said with greater self-assurance than Reiker thought possible, "You said that protocol was informal, right _Talin_?"

Reiker was thrown through such a loop he thought that he actually fell over. He had to wonder, of all the times she could break procedure, why did it have to be now? She had never actually called him by his first name, even when they first met. '_She's trying to kill me, I just know it._' Defeat now in his voice he sighed, "Yea. I did."

"You never did say what you think of my outfit, you know," she stated.

His suit VI chimed in as per usual, "**Commander. Stress levels are rising, sedative or therapy recommended. Would you like a-" **This time, he turned it off with significantly more hesitation.

Reiker had no idea what to say. "Um..." he began, "Er..."

It was at that moment that new sounds arrived. The Eclipse salarian had returned. In hurried frustration he grunted, "Come on, let's go. Get this over with."

'_**THANK.**_ _**GOD.**_'

"Of course, let's." He said, now steadfast. "Wait," the salarian started again, "Who's your friend?" He turned his head towards Diana, "Oh...well-," "He said he was going to take me home" she interrupted with a wink. After an awkward pause from both men, the Eclipse responded, "Jarroth didn't tell me we were taking a hooker, Cerberus." Clinging to Reiker even tighter, she pouted, "I don't like going home alone."

In a rapid series of angry growls the amphibian placed his three fingers over his face, "We don't have time for this human. Eclipse runs like a well-oiled machine, and _you_ are creating _friction." _Before Reiker even had the chance to speak, the salarian seemed to have finished the discussion in his own head, "Fine fine! Bring your whore, but we leave now!" After spinning around, the mercenary stormed off without a word. Reiker stood motionless. '_Who's the bastard writing my life?' _he asked himself in desperate frustration. His moment of self pity would then be interrupted by Diana who squealed, "Goodie! Let's go!" Once more, before the commander could say a word she dragged him by the arm after the eclipse. '_And here I thought __**I**_ _was the captain of the ship._'

After Reiker had finally managed to pry himself of his second-in-command's arms, he stepped into his own stride and walked with authority. Of course, this walk lasted only several seconds as Diana wrapped her arms around his waist, stifling his movement as he went along. "What...are...you doing...this time?" he said in half frustration and half annoyance.

"Isn't obvious?" she asked with her usual false innocence.

"...Bothering me?" in unenthusiastic sarcasm.

"Tee-hee! No, I'm getting in character."

"Acting like you're interested in me hardly seems 'in character'."

"Well, who said-"

Reiker stopped, and his XO bumped into him accordingly. Letting go, she stood beside him as they reached their destination. Directly in front of them was a massive hover train.

Typically, a hover train had a very basic design with only two distinct portions. The front and back were the only cars with unique features, while the rest were 'standard', huge metal cargo boxes linked together by metal hooks at their base. Essentially, they had a 'right triangle' design for the cockpit. The base and the very back were metal supports for the vehicle, while the top-front portion sported a large plexiglass window. The back looked exactly the same, allowing for it to easily alter its course. With a quick guess, the commander assumed he was at the center portion of the train.

"All right," the salarian barked impatiently at Reiker and his companion. "I'm saying this once. Your package is in the back. We're staying on this train until we finish dropping off the eezo shipments, and then we'll take it back to your docking station," after a brief breath, he continued, "You stay with me. If anyone sees you two walking around on your own they will shoot on sight." With a glare towards the cerberus officer, "And I don't want your girl fooling around with my men. Are we clear?" Diana "hmph'd" indignantly; ignoring her, the commander nodded and spoke level-toned "Of course." Placing its hands on the train panel, the eclipse lieutenant pressed several buttons; subsequently, the wall of that train cart slid to the side, and the mercenary leader stepped aboard, gesturing to his two 'guests' to do the same. Lifting his first leg up and onto the cargo train, Reiker soon noticed his XO's next prank; Diana was now holding his hand, thus preventing him from getting his second leg up without causing one of them to fall. "Aren't you going to help a lady up?" she asked sweetly. '_Damn it woman...'_' with a sigh he nodded, "Yea, sure." Giving her his other hand, Reiker lifted her up onto the train with him. "Oh thank you Talin..." she said with a wink. The salarian shook his head in disgust. Tapping his arm, a holographic glove formed around his gauntlet (similar to the one Reiker had), and spoke into it, "We're ready." After a brief pause, the train cart jerked, and then began to move steadily. '_At least we get to sit the rest of the way.'_

An hour passed, and by then Reiker was sleeping atop a metal crate, while letting his back rest on a larger one. Meanwhile, Diana was using his lap as her resting place. Suddenly, the train jerked and abruptly stopped with a shriek as train cars grated against each other. Everyone was brought to full attention; both Talin and his XO leaped up, while the salarian shouted into his Omni-Tool. "What just happened Gareth? This isn't a drop point! ...Hello? Gareth!" A distant blast could be heard in the distance. All three of the passengers knew what this meant: they were under attack.

Armaments flew as more shots were heard from the front end of the train. Reiker began readying his shotgun while Diana unholstered a hidden pistol; the salarian pulled an assault rifle off his back and powered on his armor; as energy itself layered over his armor created a helmet around his head. Again, the eclipse lieutenant shouted into his Omni-Tool, "Kelhan, what's going on down there?" Cries of terror and gun shots were now emanating from the holographic glove. "Sir, it's Arch Angel's band! He'...the-...they're killing everyone!" The amphibian cursed to himself and spoke back into the gauntlet, "Kill them then! I don't care how many of you it takes, just hold them back!" Turning to the back door of the car he waved his hand towards the Cerberus officers, "Come on!" he cried in urgency. The two complied, but Talin responded in concern,

"Isn't Arch Angel on the _other_ end of the train?"

"Exactly."

'_So much for brother's in arms, huh'. _

The three dashed down carts as the eclipse mercenaries they passed held their ground or began piling crates as barricades. Repeatedly they found themselves leaping from car to car as they opened each door to get further, all the while fighting the momentum of the train which had started moving again. "Get out of the way!" The lieutenant yelled as he threw aside an eclipse infantryman in the middle of a train car. The salarian paid no heed to his team mate even as he crashed into a pack of crates which subsequently toppled over him. As fast as they moved though, the sounds of gun fire came increasingly closer and closer.

Soon it became clear how dire the situation was, as the amphibian mercenary came to a car door he could not open. "What the...!" he cried frantically, "It's jammed!" '_You know... If I'm just supposed to die by the end of this, can we just get it over with? Really, it's just the anticipation killing me right now.' _As the adrenaline of fear pumped through his veins, Reiker felt his training kick in as he surveyed his surroundings and processed them in a matter of moments. There were fewer crates in the room than most, and those seemed fragile at best; however, they seemed lighter, and thus easier to move. With unwavering authority he barked, "Well get that thing open, Eclipse! Diana, cover him!" With a nod, she pushed herself against the wall near the eclipse leader, eyes trained on the door that he prodded and pulled at in a panic. Meanwhile, the commander carefully pushed a crate up and atop of the stair-like support frame inside the train car. From the highest point, he was able to have the crate just above the door opposite his team. Shotgun ready, he waited patiently.

The seconds felt like an eternity, Reiker wasn't even sure how much time passed before the fighting started. All the gunfire had stopped, and so had the screaming. At first he was relieved, but soon he was unnerved. '_This doesn't feel right.' _A moment later, a familiar beeping sound came from the back door. Instinctively, he reached to tap his helmet, until he realized it wasn't his suit's VI. _'Looks like the merc pulled through after all.'_ Trying to remain quiet, but still audible, Talin cupped his hands and whispered towards the salarian, "Did you get it, Eclipse?" The mercenary placed his head against the door, listening intently. Almost immediately after, his eyes widened. "What's wrong?" Reiker asked in alarm, but the salarian did not respond, clearly too distraught to listen. "Oh no...No no no!" he cried out, "Jarroth, brother! Save me, save me!" He screamed, running away from the door towards the opposite one. Simultaneously, both of them opened; one more violently than the other. An explosion erupted behind Talin and turned in surprise; the door had been replaced by fire and shrapnel. A large shard crashed into his helmet, lodging itself in his visor. The eclipse lieutenant slid the other door open as another blast went off. Metal flew once more, but for a different reason. Right in front him was Arch Angel.

A turian of great renown, he led the only known vigilante band on the Omega station. The turian hero wore sleek, thick blue armor. Ribbed leggings and two pronged boots covered the lower half of the body; the torso was huge compared to a humans, resembling a more condensed, angular, turtle shell, low enough in the front to show the face but high enough in the back to cover most of head from rear attacks. The helmet that Arch Angel wore, protecting both his identity and skull, had the same dark but reflective blue plating like the rest of his armor; a completely black visor concealed the turian's face just like Talin's. A known militant race, there was an odd elegance to all of them; the turians were almost bird like, with the slight curves to the lower torso and the small flare on the back of the helmets to encompass the small 'tail' piece of their heads.

Regardless of how well versed the salarian was in Arch Angel's history or armaments, it didn't help him this time. Unwittingly walking directly into the barrel of the vigilante's sniper rifle, the mercenary couldn't be brought to say something before the turian pulled the trigger at point blank range. As powerful as the so called 'Tech Armor' was, it had no chance to deflect the high powered bullet of a sniper rifle that close. Over-taxed, the armor's emergency countermeasure discharged an energy pulse, forcing the crate above to fall and crash upon the eclipse leader's corpse.

In a split second, the combined efforts of both the destruction of the eclipse mercenary's special armor, and a massive blast on the opposite end, the train car was torn from its connection link. In a panicked frenzy, Reiker tore off his helmet and rapidly looked around. When the smoke cleared, the turian was nowhere to be found and the salarian lay in a pool of his own blood, disfigured and burnt.

But none of that mattered considering that if he didn't get out of the cargo car fast, he would die in an explosion of his own. _Wait, where's Diana?_ The commander was horrified to see his XO desperately clutching the edge of the back door. In one mad leap he had left the support frames of the train compartment and landed on its floor.

Time is a constant factor in the world: it moves at the same pace for every single person, place, and thing. And yet, there are times where time itself feels like it had stopped; there are times where it feels like the only thing moving is the person in question. For Talin Reiker, this was one of those times.

The Commander made a frantic dash across the train car. Although the car was only several meters long, the distance felt like it was tenfold. The change of pace was not lost on him either; Talin poured every ounce of energy into his mad sprint as if to fight the halt of time that took place around him. Even with the wind pushing him forward, he felt every part of his movements in vivid detail. Each muscle of his flailing legs and every twist of his torso as he thrust his arms forward, all of it. Somehow, Reiker had completely synchronized with his body. As he moved across the cargo box, his eyes locked on his objective.

Diana held onto the the metal frame with an iron grip, despite the fierce winds. Her long hair came to life in the artificial storm, as it brushed and rolled across her face; her jacket continued to spasm and jerk while her body swayed with the whirlwind. Despite that, her features stood strong like her vise-like hold. The XO's face resisted the unseen forces pushing at it with defiance, her eyes showed no fear even as small scraps of metal grazed her skin, which relented and let small crimson trails flow. Teeth tightly gritted together and brow furrowed, Reiker's Second-in-command never forgot the soldier ingrained into her. The Commander knew that now, more than ever.

Try as he might though, Talin could not break the bend in reality he was trapped in. Both he and the XO were fighting against a clock, and the Commander was forced to watch every agonizing bit of detail, everything going wrong.

Diana's hands briefly relaxed, and clenched again. That was all it took for her grip to yield, fingers relinquished their connection, and flailed wildly as the blasts of air took them. So slow did everything move, Reiker felt like he was even watching himself, now a spectator to his own failings, unable to move fast enough. With only one hand still on, the XO had already accepted her fate. Her lips curled as his eyes widened. She formed a smile while he gaped in horror. Sensing his thoughts, she spoke to him. In an artificial vacuum, no sound could escape, but her lips conveyed a message the Commander could understand.

"**It's alright."**

**_'NO!'_** he cried back, reaching his hand out to her, now only inches away.

She let go.

Time resumed.

Released from the hold in his mind, Reiker summoned all that was left of his energy and jumped forward, throwing his arms out to her one last time. _'Don't do this to me,' _he begged fate, '_Please don't do this to me.'_

Their hands met.

The two tumbled through the air, and with the Commander's momentum, the two embraced. For just the briefest of moments they were weightless. Once more, everything around Reiker was suspended. Hanging just over his XO, they spoke wordlessly. With just a smile and a brief flick of her tongue, Diana conveyed her message.

"_Thanks Commander."_

With a grin and a wink, Reiker responded.

"_Anytime."_

Within a matter of seconds, Talin and Diana had escaped the falling train car and made their way to the safety of another.

Still in his hands were those of Diana, dangling over the edge. Just before pulling her up he said with a smirk, "I guess I should help a lady up, huh?"

As he leaned back to pull her up, he lost his footing causing him to fall with her atop of him. Literally face to face with him she smirked back and whispered, "Smart ass." Flat on his back, he looked up at his XO in the eyes, not entirely sure why she was still smiling. '_She takes it all in stride, doesn't she?' _Awkwardly, he muttered, "So...how about you-" Being cut off once again, his frustration slowed his ability to realize what just happened. His eyes went wide.

She was kissing him. His instincts kicked in, his hands clenched and his arms came around her. Were this any other situation, he would have grabbed his opponent by the neck, pull back at their hair (Or whatever strange hair replacement his enemy had), or furiously rip them off of him. But instead, his instincts told him to do something else. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder and waist, bringing her closer to him as their lips met. '_Well. This is new. Not that I'm complaining or anything. REALLY nice step up from the whole possible falling to death thing.'_'

When the two officers finally relinquished their grips on each other, Reiker found himself looking at her incredulously, "What...what was that?". "

"Kiss," she responded, "Verb: to join lips in respect, affection, passion-"

"Very funny."

"Well, that _is_ the definition commander."

"Yea, alright. But I didn't think...I just figured...you know..." he trailed off, obviously connfused.

"Yes...?" she asked with the same innocent voice and smile she always did.

"Er. Well, I knew you liked me as a person."

"You know Talin, for our insightful leader you can be awfully dense."

"Well..." he said, trailing off again.

"Did you know that you say 'well' a lot when you're nervous?"

There was a pause.

"It's all right. Go on," she remarked with a giggle.

"...Thanks. Wel-" he cut himself off, trying to be self-aware of the flaw she recently pointed out to him, "...Er, then why have you always been so damn formal in protocol?"

"Did I ever tell you that you look cute when you're angry?"

Reiker blinked. '_Actually. Did she? Hmm. I can-'_

_"_Stop thinking about it. I didn't."

"It does sort of seem like something you might say."'

"...Maybe," she said with a sly smile.

With a grin Diana rolled off of Talin, and picked herself up, all the while she dusting herself off and covering her half jacket again. Unable to hide his own smile, he lifted himself up and turned away, trying not to show his face. "Wait a second..." He said in quiet surprise. The XO turned her head in curiosity, "Hmm?"

"Check it out..." he said in child-like awe. "I think this is it. The package!" A a massive box sat in the center of the room. It was as tall as a person in length, and just about as wide, with the exception of a small rectangle that seemed to be jutting alongside it. Walking over to it, Reiker inspected the box more thoroughly. Environmentally sealed, it was protected from the elements. The large container was black, and etched on the center was the Eclipse logo. In a controlled excitement he whispered, "Diana, the package! This is it!"

"Oh really?" she asked in mild surprise. "Are you going to open it?" With a nod of his head, he knelt down and twisted the locks and watched the top of the container hiss open. Peering over the walls of the box, he inspected its inventory.

A massive suit of armor, it was black with a red trim at the seams. A helmet no doubt twice as thick as his own, the majority of the face was actual plate, creating a T-shaped visor. To the left of the suit was a large cannon. The heavy weapon sported the same color trim, and four prongs connected to the center piece. '_If this isn't it, then we found a damn good replacement._' Standing back up he slowly turned to Diana and grinned, "So, what do we call it?" Stepping towards him, she took a quick glance at it, and then did a double take with wide eyes.

"Personally, I'm thinking we would should call it Valac armor," he said smugly.

The XO shook her head dismissively, "No...we can't use our Cell name. What if we just call it the Terminus armor?"

"That's not very creative," he said disappointed.

"It's not really our choice anyway. You know it's up to the Illusive Man," she added.

"I guess," he muttered walking to the door he first jumped through. '_Can't she just break protocol when I __**WANT **__her to for once?' _Looking out over Omega, he noted the buildings designed like both stalagmites and stalactites; although technically an asteroid based city, it was more like a cavernous version of the urban sprawl. With lights from both above and below, Reiker couldn't help but see just a bit of charm to what was considered to be the most dangerous place in the Terminus Systems. Looking out over the underground horizon, he didn't notice Diana standing next to him. "I guess we need to get back to the ship, huh," she commented dismally. Tilting his head toward her, his mind briefly went blank. '_Like hell.'_ With a smirk he spoke,"Nah, I think we have some time." Diana raised her brow in confusion, "But the crew is going to ask why we're late..." Raising up his arm he pulled off his glove, the holographic overlay created a small glow. Carefully holding it over the edge he remarked, "They would, but I lost my omni-tool in the fight." With a chuckle he threw it to the pits of Omega. "Ah," she whispered. Placing her arms around his waist, "I guess we'll be stuck here for a while Talin." In return, he placed his around her shoulder. "That's all right," he brushed her hair away from her eyes, "I'm sure we'll find a way to pass the time."


End file.
